The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Oncidium plant, botanically known as Oncidium altissimum Sw. of the Orchidaceae family, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘ONCDBALCOJ’.
Oncidium comprises a genus of about 330 species of herbaceous perennials many of which, or the hybrids thereof, are suitable for cultivation at the home or greenhouse. Oncidium thrives growing as lithophytes or terrestrials and is distributed throughout the American tropics and extending into South-Central America. All Oncidium exhibit a sympodial growth habit. The species typically have 4 leaves per mature pseudobulb: 2 lanceolate leaves with acute apex grown on the apex of the pseudobulb and 2 leaves grown from the axis at the base (sympodial growth). The peduncles vary in size from 20 to over 60 cm.
Oncidium orchids in the horticultural trade are frequently used to furnish cut flowers for the florist trade or sold as flowering potted plants for home or interiorscape.
Oncidium produces upright or pendent lateral racemes to panicles, often with many showy flowers which open in succession beginning with the lowermost. The flowers possess three sepals and two petals; the lateral ones being alike. The lowermost petals, called the labellum, are three-lobed and are often more brightly-colored than the other flower segments. Flower colors include various shades of pink, white, yellow, and red-brown.
Oncidium orchids are typically propagated from seeds. Asexual propagation of Oncidium is often done from off-shoots which arise from the lower bracts of the inflorescence. The resulting plants are detached from the mother plants and may be planted in a suitable substrate.
The new Oncidium ‘ONCDBALCOJ’ is particularly characterized by its attractive and unique, yellow flowers with a light brown spot in the area of the callus and striations on the sepals and petals, a short and compact plant habit, economical propagation by tissue culture, rapid growth, and a plant dimension suitable for packaging and shipping to the market.
‘ONCDBALCOJ’ is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the inventor Gert-Jan Hoogendoorn, in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands.
The new Oncidium ‘ONCDBALCOJ’ originated from a cross made by the inventor in August 2008 in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands. The female parent is a yellow Oncidium pot plant named ‘60000-0041’ (unpatented) and the male parent is a yellow Oncidium pot plant named ‘60000-0522’ (unpatented). A single plant was selected in August 2011 and has been asexually reproduced repeatedly by meristem tissue culture in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands over a 2.5 year period. The new variety has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations.
Asexual reproduction of ‘ONCDBALCOJ’ by tissue culture was first performed in September 2012 in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands and has demonstrated that the new cultivar is firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.
Plant Breeder's Rights for this variety have been applied for in Europe on Oct. 27, 2014. ‘ONCDBALCOJ’ has not been made publicly available or sold anywhere in the world more than one year prior to the filing date of this application.